Scoring in the game of horseshoes is based upon how close to a vertical `toss` or `pitch` target stake a horseshoe is pitched by a game participant from a pitching location. The stake is typically comprised of a metal bar or rod, usually have a diameter on the order of one inch, that has been driven into the ground so that it will withstand the impact of a horseshoe tossed by a participant. While the objective is to toss a `ringer` in which the horseshoe surrounds the stake, it is frequently the case that the tossed horseshoe comes to rest a distance from the stake. In order to score the game it is necessary to measure this distance, so that it can be determined which of plural tossed horseshoes by different participants is closest to the stake. In competition events the precision to which this distance is measured is of paramount importance and may be influenced by conditions of the target area.
In particular, determining which tossed horseshoe is closest to the stake is commonly carried out by placing one end of a measuring ruler (e.g. a twelve inch ruler) against the stake and adjusting the ruler's radial direction around the stake until the closest edge of the horseshoe is located and then reading off the distance on the ruler. Obviously, such a measurement scheme is less than ideal and is especially susceptible to inaccuracies when the end of the ruler is placed against a portion of the stake that is subject to continued abuse by impact of the pitched horseshoes, which creates gradual abrasive wear including nicks and grooves in the surface of the stake facing the participant. On the other hand, the backside of the stake, namely that side which faces away from the direction from which a horseshoe is pitched, will remain substantially unworn and thereby maintains a reasonably consistent cylindrical shape.